"Is Joel Embiid not a superstar? Is Damian Lillard not a superstar?" - Jay Williams hits back at Shaquille O'Neal for suggesting there are only 4 superstars in the NBA
Shaquille O'Neal, in an interview with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks, named the NBA's current superstars:
"Steph Curry's a superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a superstar, who else? I'm not sure. ... Oh yeah, Bron Bron."
When asked about Kevin Durant, O'Neal added:
"Yeah, I guess" (via) Bleacher Report
But on ESPN's "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," Jay Williams responded to O'Neal's list:
"Is Joel Embiid not a superstar? Is Damian Lillard not a superstar? Is Luka Doncic not a superstar? Is Jayson Tatum? I mean, there's levels to superstardom. I get that.
"For him, his qualifications were 'Gotta be a Finals MVP, an MVP and win a championship,' but come on, man. Come on, man.
"Zion Williamson, as much as you may not think he's reached these degrees, he's a superstar in the league, man. He has millions of people that follow him on all social platforms. ... It sounds a little bit of an older generations' 'Here's how I see it so this is what it is.'"
O'Neal's list is largely based on the awards players have won, but a strong case can be made for the playersWilliams has mentioned.
The discourse around NBA superstars is usually divisive, and one's opinion may vary depending on one's favorite team. Most would agree that Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant have done enough in their careers to qualify for perennial superstar status.
The list would also contain Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
Shaquille O'Neal's superstardom in the NBA
Perhaps the greatest center in league history, Shaquille O'Neal boasts a résumé many can only dream of.
Shaq's CV consists of four championships, three Finals MVPs and a regular-season MVP to go along with 15 All-Star selections and 14 All-NBA selections.
His early years in Orlando landed him a spot on the list of the 50 greatest players of all time in 1996. His inclusion on that list at first drew criticism due to his lack of hardware. But O'Neal went on to win three championships in a row with the LA Lakers from 2000 to 2002. O'Neal won another title in 2006 with the Miami Heat.
The Lakers were the last NBA team to three-peat, with the Warriors coming close in 2019, but missing out on the opportunity due to injuries.